Our Torah is tradition's well it has a story great to tell

About a time when we went free no longer slaves, now family

And so each year we gather 'round to eat the foods and hear the sound of a wondrous time,

its lesson true as much for our ancestors, as it is for you!

On Pesach it is good and right we join together, our hearts delight

We begin with joy and song a message clear and loud and strong

How good it is and pleasant too for me to sit with you and you…

Sing:   Hee-nei mah tov u-mah-na-yeem, She-vet a cheem gam ya-chad!

How good it is and how pleasant  When we can be together!

Our seder now is set to start

sweet juice from grapes to warm the heart

Four cups in all, we will soon drink

each time be sure, our minds should think...

Of that great and awesome time...

when God who's strong and wise and kind

gave us freedom and good laws to bind...

Each of us to one another...

parent, spouse, sister, brother.

The Torah tells us loud and clear

just listen now, you're sure to hear

Hey...Chaya, Eli, you there Chayim

Ho-tzei-tee et-chem mee ta-chat seev-lot meetz-ra-yeem.

(Shemot 6:6)

Our Torah teaches that God said:  "I am the Lord. I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians."  (Exodus 6:6)

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam, Bo-rei, pe-ree ha-ga-fen

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation, we praise You for creating the fruit of the vine.

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

She-he-che-ya-nu, v'kee-ya-ma-nu, v'hee-gee-ya-nu, laz-man Ha-zeh

O Holy One of the Blessing, Your Presence fills creation thank You, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for bringing us to this happy time!

Our tale to tell, both happy and sad,

like all great lore, some good, some bad

On our table the symbols abound

you needn't look far, they're all around

Look on your plate, for parsley green

a sign of Spring when it is seen.

And somewhere near there is salt water,

tears of slavery, hard work with mortar

And so together, we now recall

the green around, the tears that fall.

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

Bo-rei pe-ree ha-a-da-mah.

Oh Holy One of Blessing, Your presence fills creation,

We praise You for creating the fruit of the ground!

Hey, look here, a plate with Matzah ...

let's see ... one, two, three

there sure is "lotsa"

Three matzot, all set to ear

I'll break the middle,

...an afikomen treat

A wise Rabbi Gamliel, long ago taught

These symbols each Seder must have a clear thought

First Pesach reminds us that on the night we went free

God "passed over" our houses,

no death did we see

While all Egypt suffered,

while each home saw great strife

in the homes of our ancestors,

there were new signs of life

And the Matzah we eat to remember through taste

that from Egypt our ancestors departed in haste

they didn't have time to pause and surmise

they hadn't a moment to let their bread rise

And then there's the maror, the meal's bitter herb

a reminder of slavery, our senses disturb

The maror's a symbol intended to teach

that enslavement is evil wherever its reach

In each generation we are called and commanded

to do more than just read and then eat

our Seder is special, our gathering quite sacred

for our tradition we actually meet

At a time such as this, we really should feel

that it was we who went free on that night

For with that sensation

we are one, we're a nation

we're together for all that is right

Now let's take a deep breath

let's pause and let's think

and from the sweet cup of freedom

we'll then take a drink

We're thankful and lucky to be in this place

where the blessing of freedom

brings joy to the face

A free people are we

we're both happy and proud

we thank God for the goodness

with our prayer, clear and loud

For our Torah, it tells us

that our God strong and calm

heetz-chal-tee et-chem me-a-vo-da-tam

(Our Torah teaches that God promised our enslaved ancestors that:  “ I will

deliver you from the Egyptian bondage.”  Exodus 6:6)

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu, Me-lech Ha-o-lam

Bo-rei, pe-ree ha-ga-fen.

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation,

We praise you for creating the fruit of the vine.

The moment's near when we shall eat

a snack, a meal, a Seder treat

Our customs held in high esteem

that when we eat our hands be clean

For all that we can do or say

a blessing must precede the way

(Participants should wash their hands and recite the following blessing:) 

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

a-sheer keed-sha-nu be-meetz-vo-tav, vee-tzee-va-nu

al n'tee-lat ya-da-yeem.

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation;

You made us special with your mitzvot, and You have

instructed us to wash our hands.

Two times so far we've talked about

this matzah here to figure out

And now's our chance to take a bite

to remind us of the slaves rushed flight

But first some blessings say we should

Thank God for our gifts so good

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

Ha-mo-tzee le-chem meen ha-a-retz.

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation;

Thank you for the nourishing goodness of bread.

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

a-sher keed-sha-nu be-meetz-vo-tav, vee-tzee-va-nu

al a-chee-lat ma-tzah.

O Holy One of Blessing, your Presence fills creation;

You have made us special with your Mitzvot, and You have

Instructed us to eat Matzah during Pesach

And now to think, we taste some Maror

to remind us all of slavery's horror

Maror, a herb with bitter taste

should teach us all enslavement's waste

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

a-sheer keed-sha-nu be-meetz-vo-tav, 

vee-tzee-va-nu al a -chee-lat ma-ror.

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation;

You have made us special with Your Mitzvot, and You have

instructed us to eat Maror during Pesach.

Hillel, a rabbi of old

had a custom of which we are told

a sandwich he said

made from matzah, not bread

filled with marror and charosets  -- served cold

Some time ago, as we spoke

this matzah here we held and broke

It's called afikomen -- desert by and by

a fun tradition now to try

Well that matzah has now been hidden

for the moment at least, it's been lost

but I'll make you a deal, I'll give you my word

if you can find it, we'll pay the cost

(Young participants search for Afikomen.)

At times such as this, we pause and reflect

we thank God for the good that surrounds

our families, our friends,

the great blessings of freedom

and of course all the food that abounds

We make sacred the moment

with a prayer truly said

as we celebrate the blessings

of our feast of unleavened bread

Baruch Atah Adonai, ha-zan eit ha -kol.

O Holy One of blessing, we thank you for the blessings of food.

A third cup of wine we now shall drink

as we recall again to think

God's great promise of redemption

our ancestor's saw

V'ga-alti et-chem beetz-roah n'too-yah.

(Our Torah teaches that God said:  

"I will redeem you with an outstretched arm." Shemot 6:6)

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam

Bo-rei, pe-ree ha-ga-fen.

O Holy One of Blessing, our Presence fills creation,

we praise you for creating the fruit of the vine.

A special guest we welcome now

the prophet Elijah to take his bow

Our custom at each Seder meal

to invite our friends, our joy to feel

One day quite soon, we all pray

Elijah will really come our way

And peaceful times he'll bring about

with joy and gladness all will shout

And so this cup for him we leave

our warm hospitality he might receive

Our Seder's joyous interlude

our celebration soon conclude

we hope the day so soon to come

when songs of freedom all will hum

When God, the Brit did reaffirm

a promise made, in time's good turn

one day in freedom, peace and calm

"La-kach-ti et-chem lee l'am"

(Our Torah teaches that God said:  "I will take you to be my people." Exodus 6:7)

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam

Bo-rei, pe-ree ha-ga-fen.

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation,

We praise you for creating the fruit of the vine.

Now's the time to say good bye

we soon depart, our head held high

We pray a day when we shall see

that all God's children will be free

Perhaps next year we'll celebrate

an end to war and fear and hate

We pray as well, dear Chaya and Chaim

L'shana ha-ba-ah b'Ye-ru-sha-la-yeem

Next year in Jerusalem!!!